Do you support DC statehood?

[7,052,770]

What percentage of a territory must be employed in agriculture or mining for it to be eligible for statehood, and what is justification for this beyond "contrive something to prevent DC from being a state" ?

[7,052,770]

DC Statehood defeats the purpose of it being.....DC.

Society marches on. What may have made sense in the 1790s doesn't necessarily make sense in the 2020s.

[Vosem]

No, but I'm not super attached to this opinion and I don't think a Democratic majority enacting DC statehood would be crossing some horrible red line like court-packing would be. I more oppose it out of attachment to tradition and a belief that it would make federal policy a tiny bit worse over the long run; it is nevertheless indeed unfair that DC residents don't get congressional representation.

[Santander]

DC Statehood defeats the purpose of it being.....DC.

Society marches on. What may have made sense in the 1790s doesn't necessarily make sense in the 2020s.

Many other countries have federal districts that get voting representation but are constitutionally distinct from states. DC statehood is a cynical way of solving the real problem.

The only legitimate solutions are - a) not taxing DC, removing the taxation without representation issue, although it would need to be done in such a way as to not turn DC into a tax haven, b) amending the Constitution to give them voting representation in Congress.

[The Mikado]

DC Statehood defeats the purpose of it being.....DC.

Society marches on. What may have made sense in the 1790s doesn't necessarily make sense in the 2020s.

Many other countries have federal districts that get voting representation but are constitutionally distinct from states. DC statehood is a cynical way of solving the real problem.

The only legitimate solutions are - a) not taxing DC, removing the taxation without representation issue, although it would need to be done in such a way as to not turn DC into a tax haven, b) amending the Constitution to give them voting representation in Congress.

Quite aside from the representation issue, DC doesn't have true Home Rule in the way any other jurisdiction does in that Congress can (and regularly does) forbid the DC City Council from pursuing certain policies in a way they don't do to any state. Congress holds DC's pursestrings and certain jackass Members of Congress (Hint hint, Andy Harris R-MD) see pushing right wing policies that DC has no interest in onto DC as a good way to build up right wing bona fides with the folks back home. Statehood solves this problem and simply giving DC a Congressman and even Senators doesn't solve it.

EDIT: I lived in DC for 7 years, so I had a long time where I was hearing people talk about this issue semi-regularly.

[Nutmeg]

Many other countries have federal districts that get voting representation but are constitutionally distinct from states. DC statehood is a cynical way of solving the real problem.

The only legitimate solutions are - a) not taxing DC, removing the taxation without representation issue, although it would need to be done in such a way as to not turn DC into a tax haven, b) amending the Constitution to give them voting representation in Congress.

why not both.meme

[Nutmeg]

not be home to a single farmer

False, I know several people in D.C. who are full-time farmers. Not everyone here has a job related to government.

Also I don't recall any of these other spurious litmus tests for other states to be admitted.

But we can tear down the RNC, NRSC, and NRCC buildings and create farms or mines if you feel this would be a more legitimate land use.

[Sol]

DC Statehood defeats the purpose of it being.....DC.

Society marches on. What may have made sense in the 1790s doesn't necessarily make sense in the 2020s.

Many other countries have federal districts that get voting representation but are constitutionally distinct from states. DC statehood is a cynical way of solving the real problem.

The only legitimate solutions are - a) not taxing DC, removing the taxation without representation issue, although it would need to be done in such a way as to not turn DC into a tax haven, b) amending the Constitution to give them voting representation in Congress.

Quite aside from the representation issue, DC doesn't have true Home Rule in the way any other jurisdiction does in that Congress can (and regularly does) forbid the DC City Council from pursuing certain policies in a way they don't do to any state. Congress holds DC's pursestrings and certain jackass Members of Congress (Hint hint, Andy Harris R-MD) see pushing right wing policies that DC has no interest in onto DC as a good way to build up right wing bona fides with the folks back home. Statehood solves this problem and simply giving DC a Congressman and even Senators doesn't solve it.

EDIT: I lived in DC for 7 years, so I had a long time where I was hearing people talk about this issue semi-regularly.

Hard agree.

What policies has Harris tried to push btw? Aware of the governance issues but hadn't heard much about the specifics as a non-DMV resident.

[beaver2.0]

100% in favor.

[Fuzzy Bear]

No.

I would be OK redrawing the boundaries of the Federal City with large parts of Washington, DC returned to VA and MD, with a capital zone containing the White House, Capitol, SCOTUS, Pentagon, and most major Government offices as part of the Federal City.  An area with minimal residents managed by a Congressional committee.

[TDAS04]

The status quo is cartoonishly unjust.  Not only is there taxation without representation, but the people of DC are forced to host all those congresspeople from the backward states, and they don’t even get a regular vote in Congress.

Having said that, I’d prefer DC’s absorption into Maryland rather than statehood.  DC is too tiny-looking on the map to be a state (yes, DC has more people than Wyoming, almost as many as my state, but states should be fairly visible on a map of the US).  Ottawa is part of Ontario, and that works fine.  We could learn some things from Canada.

[Sol]

No.

I would be OK redrawing the boundaries of the Federal City with large parts of Washington, DC returned to VA and MD, with a capital zone containing the White House, Capitol, SCOTUS, Pentagon, and most major Government offices as part of the Federal City.  An area with minimal residents managed by a Congressional committee.

What do you propose to do about the 23rd amendment?

[538Electoral]

No.